BENGALURU: Ideas have a better chance to survive if they serve powerful interests, said Jean Drèze, Visiting Professor at Ranchi University and Honorary Professor at the Delhi School of Economics, on Wednesday.
He was talking at the XVI International Conference on Public Policy and Management this afternoon, hosted by the Centre for Public Policy at IIM Bengaluru.
Dreze was expouding on why some ideas flourish while others fall into oblivion, and added that ideas that suit the privileged tend to flourish.
He pointed out to ‘selective intellectual memory’, wherein Dr Ambedkar nearly ended up as a forgotten thinker by the intellectual elite, atleast till 20 years ago. “I asked myself did Ambedkar have things to say that the ruling classes and castes of the country did not want to hear,” he added.
Talking in the light, about ideas such as competition and self-interest, which are considered fountains of human progress, Dreze pointed out that while competition works well for some purposes, it will not take one very far in aspects of quality education, healthcare, the environment, justice, a functioning democracy and many other essential aspects of the quality of life. For instance -- bringing up children in a family, is based on cooperation. “Think of what India would be if teachers, parents and educators cooperated to give children the best possible education," he added.
Chastising the education policy as one drived by previleged, he said, "Schools have been closed for the last 17 months and the impact on poor children has been disastrous. They have no access to online education. They have forgotten what they have learnt. Moreover, they were promoted two classes ahead, which means there are sure to be drop-outs. There has been virtually no serious public debate on this. I think we should start bringing in principles of cooperation in the education system."